Spirits And Sin
by marinaandthedorks
Summary: Follow the story of 2 desperate sisters who are trying to find eachother in a world full of chaos, loss and sacrifice. [OC x Merle] [OC x Daryl]
1. Chapter 1 - Alexandria

_One, two, three_

The sound of her pumping heart was echoing through her head. It was pounding so loudly, she feared it'd might explode.

_Four, five, six_

The knife in her hand was clutched _so_ tightly— she could feel the warm red liquid running down her palm. _Her _liquid.

_Seven, eight, nine_

No matter how badly she wanted to turn around, she forced herself to keep running, wanting to be as far away from the dead as possible. _Up_, she thought. _I need t' get off the ground_.

After 30 minutes of alternating between running and jogging, she halted and looked around while she felt panic washing over her. She tried to calculate how far she could climb before they'd catch her up.

_Darn Lexy, those shitbags can't even run properly_. The sound of her sister's voice in her head made her chuckle. Alexiandria obeyed her sister's intention as she ran to the nearest tree. She put the knife behind her belt and started the climb, while trying to stay as concentrated as possible. But _before_ she was even half way there, she heard the groans underneath her. "_Don't look_," she forced herself, trying to continue the climb. But she saw the gripping hands anyway. _Fuck_, she growled to herself, pulling herself up to a higher brance. She was far enough to be safe, for _now_. But she eventually _had_ to get down again to find food and water. All she had left was half a bottle of water and 4 granola bars. She'd run out of ammo long time ago and the only weapon she had left were 3 knives. But even knives wouldn't get you very far in a situation like this.

Alexandria looked down and counted the dead. A sigh escaped her lips when she realised there were too much. 17. "_Christ_," she cursed, punching the tree in frustration. _How th' fuck am I ever goin' ta git outta here?_

She thought of her little sister who was out there, probably alone. And even though Alexandria knew her sister could take care of herself, she was worried anyhow. _That's what big sisters do_, she thought while gazing at the sky. It was probably about 12 PM; the Georgia heat was burning on her unprotected skin; she was only wearing a tanktop and a tight yet comfortable jeans. Her long, brown hair was sticking to her forehead with sweat. She felt _gross._ The last time she bathed was probably about 1 week ago. Her fantasy drove her away, to a decent hot shower, with apple scented shampoo and a relaxing body wash.

The gun firing woke her up abruptly.

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7_. She counted the _wasted_ bullets and shook her head while grinding her teeth. _Ya dumb fuck_, she thought, looking down to see what was going on. Several of the dead were lying still and the others were getting hit aswell she realised, as they fell down one by one. "_Bitches ringin' th' dinner bell,_" she said to herself, witnessing the whole scene beneath her.

She expected the shutter to reveal themselves_. But nothing happened_. She slowly started to climb down then, still doubting whether she should be happy with the rescue or not. What if the stranger didn't mean to _'save'_ her at all? Maybe he just wanted to pass through. _Yeah, like hell he was. Might s'well take another route. _

As soon as her feet hit the ground, she grasped the knife that was closest within her reach, and turned around. The trees offered the stranger a good hiding spot while she was out here in the open. Her heart was once again throbbing loudly in her chest and she felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

Someone put an arm around her neck. The air was cut off and she started to choke. The other arm reached for her weaponed arm, forcing it to her back so she'd eventually_ had_ to drop the knife.

_My sister. _

Her legs were still free and she sure as hell would use them. She tried to kick around with full force, but the stranger tackled her down to the ground, still not releasing her from his grip. Alexandria saw black specks in front of her, but she tried to fight it, not willing to let her life slip away _that_ easily.

The hands were removed at the sudden.

She was released from his grasp and she let the air fill her aching lungs, regaining her full consciousness again. Once she felt strong enough again to move, she stood up. "Ya fuckin' piece 'o shit!" she yelled, turning around. The stranger was 3 meters away from her. "_You_—"

Her eyes widened.

"Ungrateful bitch," she heard the stranger mutter, his back faced towards her. Alexandria opened her mouth to say something, but her body was frozen on the spot. When the stranger turned around and looked at her, he seemed to react the same as she did. She saw him opening his mouth aswell, but before he could speak, she ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck. His body flinched at her touch, but eventually he wrapped his arms around her aswell with hesitation. He patted her back awkwardly and he seemed to be feeling quite uncomfortable.

"Ya couldn' take care 'o y'self, sugartits?" She heard him mumble. "Or were ya waitin' for ol' Merle to save ya pretty ass?" he continued, letting go of her and taking some distance. He was grinning with amusement when he noticed how her face changed from relieved to frustrated. "Shut yer mouth, _Dixon_. I 'ad everythin' under control, 'til _you_ decided to step in 'n ruin my plan." she snapped, while adjusting the backpack on her back and putting the knife back behind her belt. Merle snorted. "Lexy, don' gimme that shit. If ol' Merle wouldn've come here ya proll'y would've been dead by now, sugartits."

She punched him on his shoulder. It wasn't hard enough for him to actually get hurt, but hard enough to let him know her feelings. "Ain't ya gon' gimme a reward for savin' ya? How 'bout we go bump som' uglies?" He licked his lips and wiggled his eyebrows. Alexiandria rolled her eyes and scoffed. "In ya dreams, Dixon." she casually replied to him. It wasn't the first time Merle was being a complete utter sexist to her. _Hell,_ that was how they met in the first place. "I'll take 'at 's a permission to fantasize 'bout ya sweet ass," he chuckled, while roaming his eyes over her body. "But 'f ya change yer mind, ya know where t' fin' me."

Alexiandria growled under her breath and walked away. Honestly, she didn't expect their reunion to be any different. But_ he_ could get under her skin _so_ easily and it was _already_ pissing her off.

His footsteps were muffled by the leaves, but he eventually catched up with her and walked next to her. "Ya best shut th' hell up 'f ya gon' throw dem' sexually frustrated comments at me," she warned him, before he could manage to speak. "Don' worry sweetheart, ol' Merle will keep his hands t' 'mself."

Alexandria peeped up to him and offered him a slight smile.

"—_That_ means, I'll use m' own hand 'n think 'bout what _yours_ could do t' me." He smirked when she punched him in the ribs in response.


	2. Chapter 2 - Olivia

_"Christ!_"

"Ya doin' alrigh'?"

His hand reached out to her and she grabbed it willingly, while the muscles in her leg seemed to catch fire. She immediately touched the holster out of instinct, but calmed down when she felt the coolness of the metal against her skin. "Whad'dya do?" His voice snapped her back to reality and she growled when her leg flinched from the pain. "I dunno, jus' tripped I guess." She looked at the man and sighed. The man let her lean on his left shoulder for a little while, while they continued their perimeter patrol. "Hey um, I wan' head back to th' river—saw som' tracks down there." Her voice sounded soft and gentle, trying to hide her actual suffering. Truth was, she _did_ want to check if there were any visible tracks. Ofcourse she was lying—otherwise he wouldn't let her go. "Ya hurt," he stated, firmly meeting her pleading eyes. When he realised how badly she wanted this, he rolled his eyes. "If ya ain' back by sundown, I'll send someone t' come look for ya."

She smiled and hugged the man. _The man she trusted her life with. The man who'd found her, saved her life and protected her ever since. _

She heard him sigh in her hair and she let go of him with a chuckle. "Holler if ya need me." he urged, before turning around and walking away to continue the patrol on his own.

Liv limped her way down towards the river again while looking around, keeping an eye out for walkers or other unwanted guests. The palm of her right hand was resting on her belt, ready to grab out the hidden knife if she needed to.

1 hour crept by, while she was limping nearby the river. She sat down on her knees to have a closer look at the rocks behind some bushes. But after a while the dissapointment struck her and she stood up again. Her leg was feeling slightly better, and she could walk more properly now.

However, the climb up the hill didn't do her leg any good. When she almost made it to the top, the burning feeling in her muscles returned._ Must be sprained_, she figured, while strolling back into the woods again. The knife was resting in her palm while she was daydreaming about her old life; her family, her friends— even her _boyfriend_ occupied her mind for a while, until she realised what happened to her because of him. She shook her head and tried to think about different things._ Childhood memories, birthday parties, camping.. _

The groaning before her made her look up. Its teeth were only a few inches away from her arm. Instinctively she reached her armed hand up, ready to shove it into its skull. However she underestimated the situation.

It all happened in the blink of an eye; she tried to turn around, but the walker grasped her hair and jacket. Luckily she'd put on a leather jacket, so she was protected from his scratching nails. Liv's arms were trembling and she tried to escape by running away, but her sore leg caused her to collapse on the ground with the walker on top of her. The sudden pain in her side was unbearable, but she managed to get the walker off of her by using her elbows.

There were only 2 meters between her and the walker, but Liv quickly turned around, looking down with a disgusted look on her face. But without thinking she pulled the knife out of her side, hearing the horrific sound of her own flesh and turning _everything _red. The walker seemed to notice the blood aswell when it tried to reach her again. But before it could get her, she stabbed him through its right eye.

It fell down right before her.

Liv fell back down again; the adrenaline lost its relieving effect. _I'm gonna die_. She pushed her hands down to the bleeding wound, too scared to examine it.

_'Holler if ya need me.' Like __**hell**__ I'm gonna._

Besides, he probably wouldn't hear her anyway. But he didn't deserve this. If they'd find her like this, _or worse_—the walker version of her, he'd never forgive himself for letting her go. And neither would she forgive herself for that, too.

While trying to fight back the threatening tears and shrieks, she slowly stood up. The bleeding seemed to become worse and she felt her body becoming weaker within minutes. Her sprained leg was still throbbing and her head was starting to feel dizzy. But, she forced herself to walk. Ofcourse she was moving too slow; she'd never make it. _This is it,_ she told herself. _This is how yer goin' t' die, 'cuz yer a stubborn lil' piece of shit who acts like a know-it-all. _

**_Ya selfish dumb fuck. Keep movin'. Ya ain't gon' die on me now. Ya ain't gon' leave me._**

"Fuck off 'n leave me alone, I'm a big girl. I can handle m' own shit."

_Sure. That's prolly why yer bleedin' now. Suck it up, sis. Git ya ass movin'._

"Why ya always gotta bitch 'round? Just 'cuz ya older don' mean ya can brag 'bout everythin' I do!"

_That's what big sister's do._

"And how do I know yer even lookin' for me in th' first place? How can I be sure that ya searchin' for me?"

_Don't act like we 'r enemies, sis. Ya know I love ya. I've always loved ya and I ain' gon' rest in my grave 'til I find ya._

Liv chuckled, even though she was slowly suffocating from the pain. The sun was starting to disappear behind the trees and she knew it would all be over soon. The guilt seemed to make the pain even worse, nevertheless she didn't allow herself to cry. Instead, she limped towards the nearest tree. But she'd already fallen down before actually reaching it, as she lost control of her trembling body.

_She closed her eyes._

Her body seemed to fly; the pain was gone and instead replaced by a delicate, pleasant feeling. A giggle escaped her mouth. _Is this heaven? Am I dead?_

".._Worried sick 'bout ya. Trusted that ya wouldn' get in trouble_."

_**Who th' fuck 's talkin' so loudly?**_

_"..Almost bled to death."_

**_Stop talkin'!_**

_"..Could jus' ask us for help."_

"Shut up!" it was actually her speaking this time. She heard her own voice but didn't recognize it; it sounded harsh and raw. Her eyelids were still feeling heavy, but she managed to open them anyway. The person walking behind her was Rick, who was looking at her with a worrisome look. "Thank god ya awake," he whispered, fastening his pace so he could touch her forehead. "Ya feelin' cold, _damn it_. Why didn' ya jus' come back right away? Or yelled fo' help like I told ya to?"

Liv smiled slightly. "Well 'm here now, ain't I?" she wanted to say something, _anything_, but she couldn't. It simply took too much effort.

Confusion hit her when she realised she wasn't flying, but was being carried by someone. "Who's carryin' me?" She whispered, only able to watch Rick since the person was carrying her over his shoulder. "Daryl," Rick replied with a gentle smile. "_What?"_ the rasping voice ahead of them came as a surprise to them both. Liv chuckled. "Jus' askin' 'bout who my personal palanquin was." she mumbled, winking to Rick who grinned at her. Daryl snorted at this. "Watch ya mouth, _sunshine_. Be grateful I'm carryin' ya. Shouldn've listened to Rick 'nstead of puttin' ya dumb ass in stupid 'n reckless situations like these." Daryl growled in response with an undertone of anger.

Daryl and Liv didn't get along very well. Ever since Rick brought Liv back with him to their camp, Daryl had avoided her, often looking at her with a combination of annoyance, accusing and a frustrating expression. She never knew why, _not_ until Lori explained to her that a part of the the group was supposed to head out that day, to continue to search for a little girl named Sophia. She'd explained to Liv how much effort Daryl was putting into the search for the little girl, causing Liv to feel guilty right away. When she'd cried herself to sleep that night, she realised how much she wanted to find the little girl aswell; it felt like she was in debt. She _owed_ her. What if Rick hadn't found Liv and they went on with the search instead and found the little girl? What if Sophia was dead already,_ because_ of _her_?

This all happened only 10 days ago, yet it felt more like 10 years. She grew close to Rick—the one person in this group she fully and blindly trusted, plus the only one who truly seemed to care about Liv. Even though they hadn't known eachother that long, they developed a true friendship; she told him about her worriment and he often asked her for her opinion on important matters. It felt like she gained a new brother by losing her own sister; Liv was 27, her own sister was 29, Rick was probably mid 30's, and she needed someone to rely on. She was forever grateful when she realised he offered to comfort her when she needed it. And even though they weren't biological siblings, they pretty much looked a like with their chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. Not to mention their personality seemed equal; loyal, trustworthy, protective. However, Liv could also be very stubborn and determined.

"This ain't th' time t' put up a fight, Daryl." she heard Rick say with a soothing undertone. She felt Daryl relax a little bit underneath her and he continued to fasten his pace. "How 's it possible I ain't—y'know, _feelin' a thing_?" Liv questioned while peeping up at Rick, who tensed. Daryl let out a mocking laugh and tightened his grip on her. However he didn't seem to realise _how_ and _where_ he'd grabbed her. "Hands off my arse, _Dixon_." Liv snapped. Daryl mumbled a 'sorry' under his breath and lowered his hands to her legs. Rick forced back a chuckle, however his expression changed to serious again when he remembered her question. "We gave ya som' meds," he explained quietly. Liv giggled. "'Meds', _huh_? Well ya must've used som' pretty good shit, then."

Rick didn't reply, but she heard Daryl chuckle in silence.

"An' what 'bout m' blood loss?" She questioned, not even feeling the slightest bit of pain, even though her body was moving all the time and the wound wouldn't get a chance to heal itself. "We bandaged ya up pretty tight, so 't should be alrigh' 'til we get there." This time it was Daryl who'd answered her.

10 minutes later, they neared the farm. Liv gasped at the sight of the familiar house, but screamed out suddenly. The painkillers seemed to lose their effects and her wound was stinging sharply once again. It was becoming unbearable within minutes and she heard Rick yell something to Daryl. Daryl gently lifted her from his shoulder and shoved one hand under her legs and the other one under her back. He started to run then, trying his best not to hurt her, but they both knew that was impossible and they both knew she needed medical attention, _right now._

Her system seemed to shut down itself and she lost consciousness.


	3. Chapter 3 - Alexandria - Past

The first time Merle Dixon laid eyes on the girl was.. _Something different. _She was different and in no way like the usual feminine junkies he'd occasionally surround himself with—which he ony used as a temporary distraction.

But she. _Damn_, **she** was something else.

It was on a random Saturday night. He were in his favorite pub with some of his 'friends'. They were listening to the old hard rock music that was playing, and the pub was overcrowded with people. Some of them were dancing, even though there wasn't a _real_ dancefloor, and some of them were blended in the shadows and dark corners._ They were dealing _and_ using drugs_. Everyone knew, but no one said a thing, because probably half of all the people there were often using drugs. Merle was laughing with John, a guy he just met. _"I gave 'er som' true spanking_," John screamed, so Merle could hear him through the scattering voices and loud music._ "Bitch cud swallow, gotta give 'er tha_'." he raised his eyebrows before taking his glass of beer and raising it as a toast. "_To swallowin' bitches,"_ John said with an evil grin. Merle grinned aswell and raised his glass of whiskey. _"To dem' swallowin' bitches,"_ he repeated, before sipping from his whiskey. The burning liquid made its way down his throat and he smiled in satisfaction.

3 hours passed. It was about 4 AM and half of the people had left already. The dance floor was nearly empty, aside from the 2 girls who were half dressed and grinding against eachother to make the staring men, who were standing nearby, go insane. Merle shook his head and turned around again. He had a conversation with the old bartender, Jerry, about the militairy. Merle explained he just got out of prison. The reason why he were there was because he had beated up a sergeant. "Lil' bitch 'ad it comin'," Merle growled, clenching his fist at the memory. _16 months_ he had to spent in prison because of punching that stupid asshole. He had left his little brother alone, while Merle knew what was happening between the walls of his old house. Yet he closed his eyes, not wanting to accept it. Not wanting to accept what their ol' man was doing to Daryl. _To his little baby brother._ _Fucker_, he grumbled in thought, while taking his glass to gulp the liquid down.

The door opened and Jerry looked up, surprised by the fact that someone was coming despite it already being this late. Merle raised his eyebrows at the man and turned around to see what caused his surprised reaction.

Merle opened his mouth to say something, but didn't know what to. Usually he was good at making sexist comments, that eventually made the women give in to his Dixon charms, but for the first time he_ didn't_ know _what_ to say.

The girl was wearing a leather jacket, with the sleeves rolled up so he could see a small tattoo on her underarm. Her hair was long and dark brown, the same color her eyes seemed to have. She was holding a pack of cigarettes and as soon as she closed the door she unwrapped the foil to take a cigarette. She put it between her lips and it was hanging there limply, while she searched her pockets for a lighter. When she found it, she brought it to the cigarette and tried to lit it. However, the lighter didn't work. "_Fuck_," he hear her say, while she was shaking the lighter, hoping it would work eventually. Instead, Merle got off his stool and walked over to her, putting on his most charming smile. The girl looked up to the guy standing before her and raised her eyebrows at him. Merle grasped the lighter out of his pocket and held it before her, pushing the button so a small flame would come out. The girl grinned and leaned forward until the tip of her cigarette touched the flame. She inhaled in satisfaction and gasped the smoke out. Merle put the lighter back again and smiled slightly. "Thanks." she muttured, avoiding eyecontact with him when she did so. "Ya welcome, _sugar_." Merle bit his lower lip and looked over her body. _Damn_, she was _fine_ as_ hell._ He was wondering, about how he could get a little slice of this piece of heaven. The girl was _way_ out of his league, but he'd be_ damned_ if he wouldn't give it a go.

"D'ya have a name, darlin'?" he tried, while locking his eyes into hers. Unlike his blue ones, hers were brown with golden specks in the center. Her lashes were long and black and the girl had that kind of beauty where she wouldn't even need make up to look good. Though the girl wore black, thick eyeliner. Merle waited for her response, but instead she pursed her lips together, almost looking angry with him, and shuffled her way towards the bar. Half a glass with whiskey was awaiting her and Merle looked at Jerry with a puzzled look. But all his questions were answered when the girl walked over to Jerry and pressed a kiss on his cheek. Merle's expression changed from shocked to disgusted. _He_ and _her?_ "That's jist fucked up, even fo' a man like you, Jer." Merle exclaimed, eyeing the couple. Jerry raised his eyebrows while the girl chuckled and shook her head. "That's m' daughter ya perv." Jerry explained, pursing his lips together with a-not-so-amused look on his face. Merle shook his head in confusion. "Ya _what?_"

"My daughter, ya sick fuck!" Jerry was losing his patience now, while the girl heaved a sigh and walked over to the back of the pub. Merle shrugged and smirked. "How 'm I suppos'd t' know who ya bangin' with?"

Jerry shook his head and continued to clean the bar. Meanwhile, Merle approached the girl and sat down opposite her. The room was dark and the only light source were from the neon lights that were hanging on the wall.

She was leaning backwards with her eyes closed and humming to the Johnny Cash song that was playing. "_Ain' no grave, can hol' my body down_." she sung as quietly as possible._ Probably didn' hear me_, he thought, while licking his lips and glaring at her. His love for Cash was beyond, so to hear a beautiful thing like herself sing to one of his songs was a total turn on. Not to mention her.. _front._ Her chest was rising softly while she inhaled to sing along with the music. Merle licked his lips and thought of a way to impress her, but his mind was already imagining the things he could do _to_ and _with_ this girl.

The girl opened her eyes and didn't seem to be surprised by Merle's presence. She took her glass and sipped from it, while looking at him. Merle's lips curled slightly. "So, ya gon' tell me yer name, beautiful?"

The girl laughed at him and looked down at her hands. When she noticed his questioning look, she rolled her eyes with a smile. "Mah daddy told me all 'bout ya,_ Dixon._" she explained with a chuckle. Merle smirked. "Good thangs I hope?" He asked, in which the girl shrugged and gulped down the glass of whiskey. Merle decided to drop the matter and to get to the point. "Ya wan' get outta here, sugar? I 'ave sum good ol' Scotch at my place." He accidentally licked his lips while thinking about what could happen if they were alone. The girl seemed to notice.

She slowly stood up and walked over to Merle. When she sat down next to him, she only left a few inches between them. Merle chuckled when she leant forward. "Ya thinkin' bout _thangs_," she whispered in his ear, making Merle shiver with satisfaction. "Not' a chance in th' world, _Dixon_. 'f it'd be th' end of the world I'd _consider_ it." She spoke the words out softly and slowly. When she backed up again she smiled and stood up. Merle was left behind, utterly surprised about what just happened.

"Can I 'tleast 'ave ya name?" he growled after her out of frustration. The girl stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Lexy," she said, before continuing to leave the pub.


	4. Chapter 4 - Olivia - Past

Even though Rick thought the little girl wouldn't come back to the highway, he decided to go there anyway, along with Shane, Andrea and Glenn. In the meantime, Daryl would come up with a strategy for the search, deviding the area and assigning them to people in pairs.

Rick stopped the car and turned around to look at Glenn and Andrea. "Alrigh', we'll jus' walk around fo' a bit. We'll leave as soon as we make sure she ain' here. Keep ya eyes 'n ears open. Holler if ya need somethin'." Shane was already stepping out of the car and Glenn nodded, while Andrea rolled her eyes. "You can't just treat her like an escaped animal, Rick," she hissed. "She's only a _child_. We should look _everywhere_." she continued, percing her eyes into his. Rick snorted. "We 'r doing th' best we can, Andrea. We can' jus' risk losing_ more_ people. Daryl 's settin' up a search as soon 's we get back." he spoke gently, biting his tongue out of frustration. Andrea squinted out of the window, almost giving the intention like she hadn't heard him. Rick shook his head and sighed before stepping out of the vehicle.

Everything seemed to be the same as when they left it; cars scattered over the highway—some were filled with supplies, others even still had corpses in them. Rick strolled around the place for a a little while, trying to find out if anything had changed. But the sign they'd left for Sophia was starting to fade away and the supplies were still remaint untouched. Rick closed his eyes and sighed while running his hands through his hair in frustration. He turned around and walked a little bit further to distance himself from the people of his group, not wanting them to see him in a vulnerable state like this.

He looked up when he heard a strange noise. His hands immediately went for the knife that was tucked behind his belt. While surveying his surrounding, he tried to focus on the sound aswell. It seemed like someone was.. _unwrapping something?_

_Maybe it was Sophia_, he thought hopefully, while walking on tiptoes to stay unnoticed.

A red car caught his attention and he lowered himself. He stayed there as long as possible, to make sure it wasn't just a walker or whatsoever. But when he realised the sound could only come from an _actual living human being_, he stood up, slowly, and made his way towards the vehicle.

He reached for the door and opened it quickly, readying his weapon in case he needed to protect himself.

But he lowered his weapon in hesitation.

There was a girl, probably around her mid twenties, gazing at him while chewing on what seemed to be a granola bar. Her long, brown hair was hanging limply down her face and her golden eyes seemed almost desperate. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it right away when she noticed the knife in his hand. Rick followed her glance and shook his head. "I'm not gon' hurt ya," he tried, softening his look as his eyes met hers. She scooted back hastily anyhow, her back touching the other side of the car. "_I heard 'at befor_'," she murmured, avoiding his look when he tried to make eye contact with her again. "Why dont'cha tell me yer name?" Rick offered, lowering himself on his knees, hoping she'd might feel less threatened. The girl glanced at Rick and slid back forward just a little, so that they'd be able to look at eachother. "Liv," she finally whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. "Well Liv, my name's Rick—what's 'at on ya leg?" His gaze dropped to her left ankle, that seemed to be wounded. However, the yellow dried spot on it made clear that it was very badly infected. "Had a lil' accident," explained the girl with a shrug, but Rick knew better; he'd seen these kind of reactions often during his work._ She was scared._ But it'd be a waste of time to get her to admit that. _The girl seemed a tough one_. "Well, maybe I can help ya. But ya jus' need ta answer a few questions, alrigh'?" Rick offered her a slight smile. The girl pressed her lips together. "_Who says I want yer help?_ How do I even know 'f I can trust ya?" she snapped as she crossed her arms. Rick looked down for a moment, but eventually looked back at her again. "_Tell me_—do I look like a bad man t' ya?" She met his gaze briefly before staring at her hands. "I 'ave a wife 'n son, I ain' 'ere for bloodshed or wha'ever. Jus' want ta help ya. We 'ave people who can look after 'at wound," he nodded at her ankle. "So, ya gon' answer mah questions?"

The girl hesitated, but nodded eventually. "Alrigh'—_first one_, how many walkers 'ave ya killed?"

She seemed to be confused for a moment. "_Walkers?_ 'S 'at what ya callin' those _thangs_?" Nevertheless, she sighed. "I dunnae, lost count of 'em." she replied, shrugging. Rick nodded. "How many people 'ave ya killed?"

Her eyes widened at the sudden change of his tone and the question itself. She shook her head. "Jis' one—" "_Why_?" Rick demanded right away, forcing his look upon her. The girl closed her eyes and opened them to meet his eyes again. Somewhere Rick could see the guilt, pain, grief and anger in her eyes. "My dad." she only replied. Rick nodded and extended his hands towards the girl with a soft smile. Liv hesitated, but took his hand. He gently lifted her out of the car. "Can ya walk?" he asked, dropping her softly on her feet. The girl immediately held back a shriek. "I don' think so.."

Rick lifted the girl in his arms, one arm under her back and the other one under her legs.

"_Ya be fuckin' wi' me_," he growled, throwing a glass on the ground in anger.

When Rick and the others went back to the farm again, he immediately had laid down the girl in one of Hershel's rooms. She had gotten worse and it seemed like she had fever. Hershel was inside treating the wound, while his daughters were preparing a meal for the girl and for Rick and his group.

A dozen of walkers were attracted to the human noises on the highway, and Rick, Glenn, Shane and Andrea had to fight a way through and clear a path so they'd be able to get to the car and leave. Rick had called off the search, since everyone was way too exhausted and he didn't want to leave the farm defended by weakened people. And ofcourse, Daryl hadn't responded very understanding.

"_Look_—we foun' a girl, she's stable fo' now. All 'm sayin' is, she's _alive_, and she's_ human_. Ain' that good 'nough of a reason to stay calm? We can continue th' search tomorrow, Daryl, I promise. Ya 'ave my word." Rick fixed his eyes on Daryl, who's eyes were raging with anger. "I can' believe ya, jist 'cuz _Annie_ showed up and talked t'ya 'bout her _hard knock life_ don' mean ya can jist call off tha search—Sophia can be out there right now,_ fightin_' fo' her life!"

"Daryl, I—"

"No, you listen, ya_ lil' piece 'o shit!_ Ya can' jist leave her hangin' like this, fo' a fuckin' girl ya jist met three fuckin' hours ago!" Daryl shoved a glass from the camping table and kicked a chair away. Rick looked away, heaving a sigh and gripping his hair. "I'm _sorry_, Daryl. I can' jus' put the group outta there at risk. It's gon' be dark soon," he added carefully, trying to let his voice sound as calmly as possible. Rick was hoping he'd able to sooth Daryl—but unfortunately, that wouldn't happen anytime soon. "For _fucks_ sake!" Daryl grumbled, turning around and grabbing his crossbow from a chair. "I'm goin'."

"_Daryl_—"

"Dont'cha '_Daryl'_ me,_ asshole_. I ain' yo' bitch!"

Rick watched as Daryl drew off and disappeared into the woods.


	5. Chapter 5 - Alexandria

They were walking for hours.

Lexy already pointed out that it'd be much easier if they'd search for a vehicle, but Merle laughed the idea off. "Sugar, where 'r we even goin' ta fin' a workin' car?" he said to her with a chuckle. Lexy only shrugged in response. But when Merle held back another chuckle, Lexy snorted and had furrowed his eyebrows at him. "Look—ya goin' ta be a total asshole, just leave already. I ain't here to wipe yer pussy,_ Dixon_." Merle was taken aback by her sudden outburst, but he smirked at her anyway. "Feisty, eh? I like that. Can' remember ya talkin' so dirr'y with ya ol' man around."

Lexy froze on the spot by the mention of her father.

She had tried so hard to push it all away, not allowing the emotions to take control, and it'd been so easy since she only had to cope with herself. But now that he was here, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Yeah, well he ain' 'ere anymore." Lexy murmered as she glimpsed at Merle.

_Couldn't he just shut up?_ she thought.

"Speakin' 'bout him, where he at?" his voice brought her back to reality and he was now looking at her with a curious expression on his face. Lexy scowled. "What?" snapped Merle when he noticed the look on her face. "Ain' none of your business. Let's just continue th' walk an' fin' a car, so we can both go our seperate ways." she replied while she raised her eyebrows at him. Merle rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. Don'cha go pleadin' when ya gotta climb another tree 'f a walker 'ppears again." he breathed as he walked past her. Lexy grumbled under her breath and ran after him.

The muscles in her legs were starting to ache as they continued to walk further into the forest. Merle knew the way, though Lexy had the feeling he had no idea where they were heading. But when she had tried to ask him, he snorted and told her to shut up.

The sun began to subside behind the clouds and Merle halted at the sudden. Lexy, who had been overthinking the things that happened recently, bumped into Merle. Merle turned around in surprise and furrowed his eyebrows. "—Sorry," she managed to say. "Lost in thought." she added quickly, avoiding the gaze he was giving her. When she noticed the smirk out of the corner of her eyes, she distanced herself from him and turned her back to him. "If ya wanted ta bump uglies, ya might 'swell say it right away." Merle rasped with an amused undertone in his voice. Lexy snorted at this and turned around again. "In ya dreams,_ Dixon_."

Before she realized what she just said, Merle was already laughing.

"Now smartypants, what's 'at what ya told me th' night we met? ''f it'd be th' end of the world I'd consider it'? Well sugar, what a coincidence, 'cuz _here we are_."

Lexy immediately thought about the night she first met Merle Dixon. Sure, he wasn't too bad looking, but his personality was just terrible.

"Even if I would, 'm sure I wouldn' cum 'cuz all ya ever do 's swear 'n shit like 'at."

_Fuck._

"Oh darlin' I'd changed for ya pretty ass 'n talk all lovey-dovey 'n shit, 'f that's what it takes ta make ya wan' me."

Lexy accidentally chuckled but stopped when she realised what she was doing. She was alone with him, and she hated the guy.

_Hate?_

Well, they had been friends before all this. After that night in the pub, they'd ran into eachother a few times. Merle had actually been nice back then, when she was having trouble with her daddy and sister. He comforted her. Ofcourse in his own 'way', since Merle Dixon wasn't exactly the comfort-ish type of guy._ Hell no_, nine of the ten times he would be high for some reason. Lexy wanted to know why, but after she attempted to talk about his life she learned to keep her mouth shut about all of that. It was obvious that his past was sensitive and rather personal. And yet, Merle managed to make himself seem like this open person who would casually talk about anything, while he wasn't.

"Does tha' chuckle mean yes?"

Lexy shook her head and pulled the backpack off her back. "No, now shut up 'bout it."

Merle shrugged and stepped forward. "Ya ain' happen to 'ave a tent, do ya now sugar?" he asked as he watched while she searched the backpack for some food. She looked up and met his eyes. "For th' last time, my name's Lexy. Do I need ta write it down for ya?" she exclaimed at him, obviously annoyed because of him being so sexually frustrated. "Go jerk off 'r somethin'," she breathed as she took 2 cans of carrots out of her bag. Merle pressed his lips together. "Fine," he growled. "No need ta get ya panties twis'ed, girl. Pipe tha fuck down." he added while being frustrated. Lexy bit her lower lip and offered him one of the cans.

Merle managed to get a fire going and they both finished their meal in silence. Merle would cast her a glance every now and then, but after a while it was obvious Lexy didn't want to talk.

When the sun had finally disappeared, Merle put the fire out. He sat down against a tree opposite Lexy, who opened her backpack to pull a few blankets out. She stood up and stepped forward so she could throw 2 blankets at him. When she sat down again, she wrapped the remaining 2 blankets around her and leaned against the tree behind her as well. "I'll take first watch, get sum sleep." Merle rasped gently while he looked at her. Lexy peeped up at him and nodded. She laid down and used her backpack as a pillow. Her back was turned to Merle and he listened as her breathing softened and she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6 - Olivia

The nightmares caused her to scream, even though her mouth was as dry as a dead person. Her throat was filled with blood and there was a salty taste on her lips. Her waist was aching and when she looked down, 2 dead faces peeped up at her, pulling the guts out of her while they were chewing on her veins. Their faces were half-rotten and one had its eye missing. She wanted to scream, so she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, though nothing came out. When she returned her gaze at the dead beneath her again, the faces had changed into two familiar ones._ Her father and sister._

Her eyes shut open and she panted, while her sweating body was still trembling because of the horrifying images and the nightmare she had experienced not so long ago.

Liv was lying in something soft, and when she let her fingers ran over the textile, she realised she was moved into the house on a bed. She looked around and started to panic when she realised she was in a unfamiliar place. But when she noticed the face of the farmer and Rick, she calmed down. Rick pressed her gently down on the bed again, and she realised her side was hurting even more because of the sudden movement. "Calm down, Liv." Rick whispered with a nod. Liv tried to swallow, but her tongue was all dried up. The farmer stood at the other side of the bed and offered her a glass of water. Liv took it eagerly and gulped down the whole glass. "Careful." Hershel warned as he eyed the girl, even though he knew it was useless since she already finished half of the glass.

She gave the glass back to Hershel and let her head rest on the soft pillow. It felt like she was lying on a cloud. After all the long nights she had spent on either the ground or a hard cot, this felt amazing. She felt like a normal _human_ again, despite the lack of hygiena; the filth, mud and blood was caked on her body.

"How 'r ya feelin'?"

Liv looked at Rick, who was sitting on a chair next to her bed. Liv attempted to smile, but failed miserably; the pain was still unbearable. "Better." she lied, however Rick noticed it right away. "How's the pain?" Hershel asked from the other side of the bed. Liv turned around and heaved a sigh. "Honestly, it's terrible. I don' think I ever felt so terrible like this all my life." Liv confessed while she looked away to avoid both Rick and Hershel's looks. "Tha others are on a run, 'cuz we're outta food 'n such. Figured they could might s'well try ta search for som' painkillers. They'll be back either tonigh' or tomorrow." Rick spoke while he gently patted her hand in attempt to calm her down. Liv looked at him and nodded. She wanted to ask who, but she knew it wouldn't help her in the slightest bit; she would only end up worrying, and in her current state, she knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Why don't you get some more sleep, it'll do you good." Hershel suddenly said. Liv looked up at Rick, who stood up and nodded. "Holler if ya need anythin'," Rick said. Liv grinned. "Don' worry officer, I'll be alrigh'."

After they left, Liv pursed her eyes together and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

When she woke up, the room was filled with darkness. Liv gasped as she tried to sat up straight, causing her side to twitch and ache. Careful not to ruin the stitches, Liv swung her legs out of bed and inhaled before standing up. Her legs trembled at first and her head was dizzy, but she eventually regained her balance while her head cleared.

She slowly managed to take a few steps forward and opened the door of her bedroom. The stairs made her curse in thought, but she continued anyway because she was tired of lying in bed all the time.

It only took her 10 minutes until she was down the stairs, but her side was throbbing and aching. The girl forced herself to step outside to get some fresh air.

She staggered towards the front door and opened it. Though the pain was becoming unbearable and black dots were dancing in front of her, threatening to take over her whole sight. A sigh escaped her lips, and she was ready to give in to the weariness. The heat was raging through her body again and she collapsed.

But just when she was about to hit the ground, two strong hands wrapped around her shoulders and offered her support. "Ho now girl—_easy_." he breathed in her ear, adjusting his grip so he could drag her to the chair that was outside. He lowered himself, so she could sit down. Liv peeped up and looked at the man who just caught her. "Ya fuckin' stupid? Jus' saved ya ass out of tha woods 'n 'ere ya are, already tryin' to get yaself killed." he said with his heavy drawn Southern accent. Liv scowled at Daryl and brushed a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Jus' wanted ta get som' fresh air, is all." she grumbled in defense. Daryl rolled his eyes and adjusted the crossbow that was hanging on his left shoulder. "Could've jus' open ya window then." he mumbled before leaving her alone on the porch as he made his way towards the RV.

Liv ignored his grumbling and closed her eyes instead, letting the cool night breeze stroke her cheeks. She tried to remember what her sister looked like; she often did that these days, just wanting to make sure she wouldn't forget her. Was her sister doing the same? Did she think about Liv as often as Liv thought about her? _Was she looking for her?_

_Ofcourse she was_, she said to herself as an attempt to calm herself down. All they had left were each other, surely that would mean _something. _

Liv closed her eyes and thought about reuniting with her sister.


End file.
